Compacted bookstacks



1960 A. s. MACDONALD ETAL 2,958,423

COMPACTED BOOKSTACKS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1950 Tg z. WW

.f d, 5? 3110mm 56" 3 Angus Snead Macdanald Lutz. [16217119 4 GttoinegUnited States Patent 'COIVIPACTED BOOKSTACKS Angus S. Macdonald, nearRapidan, Va., and Lutz E.

Helbig, Scotch Plains, N.J., assignors to The Globe- Wernicke Co.,Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application Dec. 20,1950, Ser. No. 200,403,

now Patent No. 2,826,310, dated Mar. 11, 1958. Divided and thisapplication Oct. 7, 1955, Ser. No. 539,073

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-150) This application is a division of our priorapplication for Compacted Bookstacks, Serial No. 200,403, filed December20, 1950, now Patent No. 2,826,310, granted March 11, 1958.

This invention relates to improvements in Compacted Bookstacks of thecharacter set forth in the prior application of Angus Snead Macdonald,Serial No. 53,899, filed October 11, 1948, now Patent No. 2,645,356,dated July 14, 1953.

In large libraries, such as university and city libraries, there is needfor an especially large capacity in number of books. The estimatedcapacity in a given space often is inconsistent with actual capacityfound to exist after completion of the library. This difiiculty lies inthe fact that volumes which must be stored in the library vary widely insize and thickness, which affects both the number of volumes that can beplaced on a given shelf and the number of shelves that can beaccommodated between floor and ceiling. It is important, therefore, notonly to provide flexibility of storage capacity, but also to achievemaximum efficiency in a given area.

An object of this invention is to improve the construction of bookstacksto obtain maximum capacity of the stack system at minimum cost, as wellas to accommodate little-used material to which access may be had onlyon infrequent occasions but is available when needed.

A further object of the invention is to provide bookstacks that arepivoted for swinging movement into and out of nested relation so as tolocate movable and fixed stacks in side-by-side relation, close to eachother, without intervening aisles therebetween, and wherein the movablestacks are capable of swinging motion to gain access to books ormaterials on the fixed stacks.

Still another object of the invention is to improve the construction ofbookstacks to provide secure structure for swinging motion thereof in asimple and inexpensive mounting that will provide for easy movement ofone stack with respect to another, and yet without adding appreciably tothe cost of the installation, keeping it at a minimum.

These objects may be accomplished by providing an assembly of storagebookstacks, one row of stacks being fixed in stationary position, and asecond row of stacks being mounted for swinging movement with respectthereto directly in front of the fixed stacks and yet movable to gainaccess not only to the books on the fixed stacks but also to a back rowof books on the movable stacks. Journals are provided in the floor andceiling for mounting the movable stacks therebetween, capable of freeswinging motion on secure mountings at a minimum of cost ofinstallation.

One certain embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly in section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing the bumper link plate and adjacentportions of the stacks; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a mounting for themovable stacks.

The invention is shown as applied to a library structure which includesstorage space for books preferably arranged on one or more decks orfloors, generally indicated at 2 in Fig. 2. These decks or floors areconstructed as a part of the building assembly in permanent relation,and it is preferred that the bookstacks be erected therebetween.

We have shown in Fig. 1 a series of .rows of bookstacks, including fixedbookstacks 40 held in place by columns 41 erected between the floors ordecks 2 and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable or well-knownmanner. The fixed bookstacks 40 have suitably arranged book shelves and,preferably, rows of shelves accessible from opposite sides of the fixedbookstacks.

In side-by-side relation with the fixed bookstacks 40 are movablebookstacks 42 on one or both sides of the fixed bookstacks 40. It willbe noted from Fig. 1 that the fixed and movable bookstacks are in closeside-by-' side relation without aisles therebetween. However, the

movable bookstacks are pivotally supported, as at 52 in Fig. 1, capableof swinging movement into wide aisles between the rows of bookstacks,for gaining access not only to the fixed bookstacks but also to the backrows of the movable bookstacks.

While the respective bookstacks may be of any desired construction, themovable bookstacks, preferably, are constructed as a unit capable ofbodily swinging motion about the pivots 52 in the form shown in Figs. 1to 4.

The movable bookstacks are mounted on pivot pins 52 at the top and 53 atthe bottom. In each instance, a strap hinge or hinge bracket, generallyindicated at 54, is used to support the end of the stack column on themounting pins 52 and 53. This strap hinge has an eye journaled on themounting pin and extends laterally therefrom and is welded, riveted orotherwise secured rigidly to the adjacent end of the bookstack column.

The mounting at the bottom is shown more in detail in Fig. 4. The pin 53extends downward through a spacer 55 seated upon a thrust bearing 56which in turn is carried by a bar 57 mounted upon, or imbedded in, thebottom deck. A like bar 58 is located at the bottom face of the deck 2,and a steel pipe or tube 59 extends between the bars 57 and 58 and isrigidly secured thereto, as by welding.

Openings are provided in the bars 57 and 58 at the opposite ends of thetube 59 to receive aligned pins therein, one of which supports thebottom of a bookstack, and the other is connected with the top of thebookstack in the next lower library space. The bars 57 and 58 alsopreferably tie together adjacent bookstacks in a row, as describedabove.

The free end of the movable case, generally indicated at 42, preferablyhas casters 60 mounted thereon, which casters are shown in Fig. 1 asbeing substantially concentric with the axis of swinging movement of themovable case.

Each of the casters is shaped frustro-conical and is mounted on an axisthat radiates from the axis of the pivot 52. These axes as well as theapex of each cone of the truncated caster, extend to a point thatintersects the vertical axis of the pivot 52 at the floor. By usingtapered casters mounted in this manner, the case will naturally revolvein the arc of a circle and without any appreciable friction over thefloor. At the same time, the weight of the case will be carried by alarger bearing surface, both on the caster and on the floor, than wouldbe provided otherwise. This makes possible the use of Patented Nov. 1,1960 i 3 casters of resilient material, and the casters are not soliable to groove the floor on which they roll.

The adjacent end-s of the fixed bookstacks 40 may be connected togetherto hold these in rigid alignment with each other by a link plate 61,shown in Fig. 3. This plate. 61 is secured by bolts or other suitablefastenings 62 to the adjacent ends of the fixed cases and holds these insecure relation to each other.

. The plate 61, preferably, extends laterally sufficiently far so thatits outer ends may form abutments for the swinging motion of the movablecases 42, to prevent injury to the metal of the fixed cases. Bumpers areshown at 63 in the form of rubber pads secured to the corners of theswinging cases 42 in position to abut the outer end portions of the linkplate 61 and thereby not only cushion the closing movement of theswinging cases but also to prevent damage to each.

We have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 handles 64 on the free edge of each ofthe bookstacks, secured to the structure thereof for moving these ontheir pivots. Such handles may be used, if desired, on any of the formsshown embodying the invention and facilitate the bandling thereof.

By providing a row of movable bookcases in front of a row of fixedbookcases, it is possible to gain acccws to three rows of books.One-third of these are accessible at all times at the outer face of themovable bookcases. These can be the most active books, while thoselocated on the back face of the movable bookcases and on the fixedbookcases can be little-used books which, nevertheless, are madeavailable when needed.

At the same time the large storage capacity obtained thereby can beaccomplished at relatively small cost so as to provide a very efiicientlibrary storage of books.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in oneembodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be madetherein without departing from the invention as specified in the claims.

We claim:

1. In library bookstack construction having upper and lower decks, aplurality of swinging bookstacks arranged in aligned adjacent relationwith adjacent ends hinged for swinging movement of the bookstacks withrespect to upright axes, each of the swinging bookstacks having alaterally extending bracket secured thereto, hinge pins having journaledconnections with the brackets for hingedly supporting each of theswinging bookstacks for swinging movement, tubes mounted in the upperand 4 lower decks, at least one of the tubes extending through one ofthe decks and having open opposite ends and receiving therein certain ofthe pins of said bookstacks above and below said deck, the remainingtubes receiving the remaining pins.

2. In library bookstack construction as set forth in claim 1, a barconnecting together spaced tubes on the top of one deck, thrust bearingsmounted on opposite ends of the bar, and spacers seated upon the thrustbearings surrounding the pins and between the thrust bearings and thesuperposed brackets.

3. In library bookstack construction, the combination of a pair ofaligned fixed bookstacks arranged end to end and having ends adjacenteach other, a plate extending in bridging relation between said adjacentends of bookstacks along outer faces thereof and rigidly securedthereto, a pair of aligned swinging bookstacks at the front of the fixedbookstacks and with adjacent ends adjacent the adjacent ends of thefixed bookstacks, said adjacent ends of the aligned swinging bookstacksoverlapping the ends of said plate, means hingedly mounting the swingingbookstacks at the opposite outer ends thereof for swinging movement ofsaid adjacent ends of the swinging bookstacks toward and from theadjacent ends of the fixed bookstacks, and bumper pads carried by theadjacent ends of the swinging bookstacks and extending therefrom towardthe fixed bookstacks in position for bumping engagement with theopposite end portions of said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS288,633 Hasenpflug Nov. 20, 1883 601,985 Russ Apr. 5, 1898 918,060Kabureck Apr. 13, 1909 1,253,546 Vanderveld Jan. 15, 1918 1,653,323Taylor Dec. 20, 1927 2,003,670 Walker June 4, 1935 2,048,274 Luby July,21, 1936 2,096,239 Geyer Oct. 19, 1937 2,229,171 Gritton Jan. 21, 19412,817,444 Brandell Dec. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,432 Great BritainMar. 24, 1899 143,249 Great Britain June 2, 1921 558,732 Great BritainJan. 18, 1944

